Man admits creating Facebook page to harass another

A Kalamazoo man admitted that he created a Facebook page under a false name which led to another man’s harassment.

On Friday, Joseph Robert Weeks pleaded guilty in Livingston County Circuit Court in Howell to unlawful posting of a message and prosecutors agreed to dismiss a second count alleging he used the computer to commit the crime.

Prosecutors also agreed to recommend that Weeks receive no jail term when he is sentenced Sept. 24. If the judge imposes a jail sentence, Weeks can withdraw his plea and head to trial.

In entering his plea, Weeks admitted that he created a Facebook page using a fake name in December 2014 and posted information about the “complainant that wasn’t true.”

Weeks also admitted that the false information he posted led to a news article regarding criminal activity and an Offender Tracking Information System (OTIS) background check which resulted in the victim receiving unsolicited contact from other people, including his girlfriend’s family.

The nature of the information and how it led to a news article and unsolicited contact was not disclosed in court.

Weeks entered his plea and will be sentenced as a habitual offender. His criminal history includes 1995 convictions for drug-related offenses.

Under the plea deal, the prosecution did not seek revocation of Weeks’ bond on Friday for his alleged bond violations by drinking alcohol while on bond.